Songwriter Raina Bee returns with her band The Hive in the music video for "Queen of the South", the second track off of her 2016 album Stung. The rough-and-tumble country-inspired romp takes cues from Nancy Sinatra and Fiona Apple as it chronicles the urge for revenge. Bee says of the song: "It’s about someone who wronged me and imagining what I wish I could do to them in response. The whole Queen of the South thing is somewhat alluding to the Civil War and that the relationship was kind of a war."

The video showcases that war in action, as a gun-toting Raina fires rounds at a bound-and-gagged man who tries to make his escape. To see it for yourself, click the Play button on the video below. – Will Sisskind

Brooklyn’s sparkle-indie group Pale Lights ended 2017 on a productive note with the release of their LP The Stars Seemed Brighter, which has gained a good amount of praise since its unveiling. Frontman and songwriter Phil Sutton delivers poetic lyrics over Andy Adler’s mellifluous guitar and Lisa Goldstein’s subtle drums, while Suzanne Nienaber provides the summery harmonies in the background. That sunny feeling comes through in the music video for "Jean, Bring The Flowers" (streaming), a homemade four-minute capture of impromptu backyard jams while relaxing with friends in the sunshine. While you wait for the winter cold to pass, warm your ears and eyes with the video for "Jean, Bring The Flowers" below. – Will Sisskind

Riding into the new year after a satisfying 2017 is Sulene, the talented guitarist and film scorer who’s seen her own solo work gaining a growing amount of praise. The South African New Yorker released her debut EP, Strange, back in April; since then, she’s performed live (mostly solo) and played guitar in some of her fellow musicians’ projects. She’s also worked on a re-imagined version of her EP, titled Strange (Reimagined), which strips each synthpop track down to compositions for voice, piano, and string quartet. The result is a haunting album of self-reflective beauty, which is especially prevalent on the bonus track "Something New." – Will Sisskind

Eric Ryrie of Great Woods has had a busy year, having recorded and mixed his latest EP Strange Lives and playing shows to support it. He won’t slow down going into 2018, as he and the rest of the band will play the eclectic Zone One room at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on January 7th. They’ll play plenty from Strange Lives, a record that blends the soulful pop songwriting of Peter Gabriel with a sound that’s borderline emo. Check out single "Married to the Tide", streaming below. – Will Sisskind

Earlier this week, new pop duo MISTY MTN released their first single "Greener" after weeks of teasing the release on Facebook. MISTY MTN consists of Montana-based actress and vocalist Morissa Trunzo and Brooklyn-based composer Lucas Segall. They blend the soft folk music of Big Sky Country with the dark synthetic electricity of big city synths and samplers. "Greener" showcases this sound through Trunzo’s and Segall’s entrancing harmonies and sparkling guitars tucked into pillows of bubbling synth sounds. The duo doesn’t have any shows lined up yet, but for now, you can stream "Greener" below. – Will Sisskind

The music of Soft Glas — a.k.a. producer and songwriter Joao Gonzalez — evokes dreamy and funky vibes that both excite and chill the nerves. It’s music that works well in a full length format, and Joao seems aware of it, since Orange Earth, released in September, is the project’s third LP. Live, the musician plays/samples/loops a series of instruments on top of electronic tracks, and does it in an entertaining fashion – so much so that Soft Glas has was recently asked to tour in support of Oklahoma-based group Sports, playing shows in Los Angeles and Baltimore. He’ll return to NYC on December 13th at Mercury Lounge, and then on the 14th, in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right. Catch either show if you can; otherwise, stream Soft Glas’s latest single "Perks of Being a Sunflower" below. Close your eyes, and daydream. – Will Sisskind

The Echo Friendly‘s 2014 debut LP Love Panic was a rather mellow indie pop-rock record filled with timeless melodies and moody atmospheres. The duo today is releasing the long awaited sophomore LP, called Surveying The Damage, and its first single is a testament to rising above anxiety called "Power Through". In keeping with that theme, the timely title track (premiered below) navigates breaking through feelings of insecurity in a hostile world, while revealing a sound that’s faster and rawer – a clue confirmed by the other single available for streaming. You can hear The Echo Friendly play both singles from the album and more during their record release show at Rough Trade on December 10th. – Will Sisskind

Those partial to the slow-jam sounds of The Weather Channel’s past and layered vocal harmonies a la Freddie will find solace in the music of Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue, the newest project of Eric "Doc" Mendelsohn, formerly of Ghost Beach. Mendelsohn’s brought his funk to tour with bands like Imagine Dragons and Walk The Moon; now, he’s landed it in the studio, where he forged Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue’s eponymous debut EP, out on January 5th. To promote the record, the Revue will play C’mon Everybody on Thursday 12/7 along with Sam O B and Pilot Violet. For a taste of their salacious sound, check out the groovy first single "I Stand Corrected", below. – Will Sisskind

Hearken back to the already long-gone days of mid-2000s alt-rock with the new EP from Cale and the Gravity Well, Creation Myths. With eclectic instrumentation that sounds like the synth-tinged soft jams of Yeasayer or the Magnetic Fields, the five tracks of the EP showcase the production of Modest Mouse’s Jim Fairchild, as well as the knowledge of Sun Kil Moon engineer Mike Cresswell. Cale and the Gravity Well strike a balance between thunderous rock and soothing indie dream pop, especially on the track "Zambia", which you can stream below. The band’s toured throughout the fall to promote Creation Myths; they’ll play their final show of the tour on December 11th at PIANOS in the Lower East Side. – Will Sisskind

With a gruff voice that delivers storybook lyrics in the spirit of James Taylor and heavy piano-based arrangements that smack of Seventies songwriting greats like Elton or Billy, Brother Roy unleashes his debut LP Last Man Standing. Filled with soul and inspired by jazz and classical composers, the tracks on the album flow from driving rockers such as "Heartbreaker" to orchestral crooners such as "Sunshine Lady". Brother Roy has already released a few music videos from Last Man Standing, the latest being a B-movie clipshow set to the head-bopper "Brother Sam." Check it out below and don’t miss the record release "extravaganza" at Rockwood Music Hall on December 10th. – Will Sisskind

Technology continues to expand the realm of what’s doable and psych rock bands such as Color Tongue take full advantage of the possibilities. While the Bushwick quartet’s next LP doesn’t come out until later in 2018, they’ve released a visual album in the meantime called Us and the Bugs, a YouTube video of four songs set to an ocular feast of clips of mashed-up old cartoons, found footage of landscapes, warped dancers in bubble suits, and of course, bugs. It should hold you over through the winter while you wait for the album to drop; just project the video on your wall, turn off all the lights, and bundle up in your warmest blankets for the full effect. Watch Us and the Bugs in full below. – Will Sisskind

Dream pop group Fieldings will perform at Alphaville on November 18th to celebrate the release of their debut LP, Soft Tissue. It’s their first major release in a few years, but like the group’s previous EPs and singles, tracks come with the chilling lilt of Lucinda Hearn’s voice. Joining the five-piece on the bill are Philly-based musician Andrew Conklin, multi-instrumentalist Renata Zeiguer, and Michael Rocketship, an experimental group featuring members of tUnE-yArDs. If you can’t wait to hear Fieldings live, check out all of Soft Tissue below in this exclusive Deli premiere. – Will Sisskind